beside

1 of 2

preposition

be·​side bi-ˈsīd How to pronounce beside (audio)
bē-
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
a house beside a small lake
b
: in comparison with
potential complications are minor beside the benefits
c
: on a par with
a composition that can be ranked beside that of the masters
2
: not relevant to
but that's beside the point
3
: besides
No one knows beside me.
learning other languages beside French and English

beside

2 of 2

adverb

1
archaic : nearby
2
archaic : besides
Phrases
beside oneself
: in a state of extreme excitement

Examples of beside in a Sentence

Preposition She sat beside him during dinner. The man beside her was wearing a brown suit and hat. They were walking beside me. Stand beside the statue and I'll take your picture. Their house is beside a small lake. These problems seem unimportant beside the potential benefits of the new system.
Recent Examples on the Web
Preposition
While the draining of reservoirs let loose heavy loads of sediment, there are also areas where piles of sand, gravel and clay lie up to 15 feet deep beside tributary streams. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2024 That effort increased the trust level between us at the same time a robot beside us commented on my interviewing prowess. Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 For the first few months, the mother carries the baby almost constantly, either beside her or on her back. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Mar. 2024 In addition to finding the 9mm handgun with a loaded magazine beside it, officers also found a rifle round in a men’s jacket inside a closet, court documents show. Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 22 Mar. 2024 This trip will take viewers under the iconic Austerlitz Bridge, beside the Jardin des Plantes, before crossing through central Paris and finishing in front of the Trocadéro, where the final parts of the show will take place. Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 Some tabloids have speculated that the Royal left the Windsor Castle grounds, with TMZ releasing a potential photo of Middleton riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle in March 4, beside what looks like her mother Carole Middleton. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 The claim: Image shows explosion in Russia near Putin billboard that reads 'stability' A March 17 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a fireball and thick smoke behind a billboard showing Russian President Vladimir Putin beside a line of Russian text. Andre Byik, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 In one sweet photo, Rocky’s small foot rested on Barker's drum beside his drumsticks. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Adverb
The river is open for swimming, wading or just to sit beside while enjoying its splashy serenade. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Observers standing beside, or passing by, the lab’s fish tanks could hear a continuous buzzing sound, and this led to identifying the fish itself as the source of the sound. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The park’s location beside to the Weston Branch Library, Broward Community College and other schools means the area is sure to sometimes double as an outdoor classroom. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 During spring and summer, place the plants beside — not directly in front of — a north- or east-facing window, which provides less exposure than one facing south or west. Jessica Damiano, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2024 At the season-four Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion, for example, Teresa Giudice switched couches halfway through to more effectively yell at those who she’d been seated beside. Vulture, 10 Jan. 2024 The Navajo Nation citizen who serves on a human rights commission has worked tirelessly beside Benally to preserve the sacred status of the San Francisco Peaks. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 4 Jan. 2024 Alligator Spotted on a Florida Beach A video of the crocodile's ocean appearance shows the animal swimming through blue waters beside and under a pier on Pompano Beach. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 However, the plan also only succeeded to prompt the terrified wild kitten to scamper to next car parked right beside, which happened to belong to my nephew-in-law’s mother. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beside.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Preposition and Adverb

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English be sīdan at or to the side, from be at (from ) + sīdan, dative & accusative of sīde side — more at by

First Known Use

Preposition

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beside was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beside

Cite this Entry

“Beside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beside. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beside

preposition
be·​side
bi-ˈsīd
1
a
: by the side of
walk beside me
b
: in comparison with
the kitten looks tiny beside that big dog
2
: besides entry 1
was the only one, beside me, who objected
3
: not relating to
beside the point

More from Merriam-Webster on beside

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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